A Rare Area of Agreement: The Evil of Slave Trade
by Sonia P. Omulepu

Slavery, especially the transatlantic slave trade, is a crime against humanity; every consideration should be given to compensating societies whose citizens have suffered the effects of slavery leading to poverty, underdevelopment, marginalization, social exclusion, economic disparities, instabilities and insecurity.

That was one of the rare agreements on 8 September of the United Nations' World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Other Related Intolerance (WCAR) that met in Durban, South Africa.

The meeting, which brought over 5000 people to Durban, was filled with frustrations and disappointments, and it came as a surprise that such an agreement could be reached by the delegates. It was through the untiring effort of a core of people, some from the Ecumenical Caucus, that this historic declaration was made. The agreement gives civil rights advocates leverage to continue addressing racism and racial discrimination in all its forms, around the world.

The Ecumenical Caucus, comprised of the World Council of Churches' delegation, representatives of member churches, partners in the ecumenical movement, and other Christians, worked diligently to have the voices of faith-based organizations heard at the conference.

The Ecumenical Caucus statement, delivered by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, declared: "Racism is a sin. It is contrary to God's will for love, peace, equality, justice and compassion for all. It is an affront to human dignity and a gross violation to human rights."

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has worked against racism since its formation in 1948.

The [Ecumenical Caucus] statement further called on the churches and governments to acknowledge that they have benefited from the exploitation of African and African descendants, and other peoples through slavery and colonialism.

The statement further called on the churches and governments to acknowledge that they have benefited from the exploitation of African and African descendants, and other peoples through slavery and colonialism. They also called upon the churches to address the issue of reparations as a way of redressing the wrongs done.

The Ecumenical Caucus statement noted that racism, singularly and collectively, diminishes our common humanity. "The dismantling and eradication of racism requires that we address all its manifestations and historical expressions, especially, slavery and colonialism."

This statement, addressing a variety of issues, represented the faith community’s pledge to struggle against racism in all its manifestations in the hope that God’s people may fulfill the Gospel’s mandate that we "may all be one." (John 7:21)

The U.S. government’s absence from the World Conference illustrated its lack of commitment to fighting racism and its inability to provide leadership on issues of race, asserted the Rev. Jesse Jackson. The U.S. government, Jackson declared, has never been openly supportive of the fight against global racism, whether during apartheid in South Africa or at other points in the African independence struggle. During those long difficult days of the anti-apartheid struggle, its non-committal position was referred to as "constructive engagement," which actually meant a continued U.S. relationship with the minority white South African government at the expense of the black majority. "We have missed a great opportunity to act as a global leader in the fight against racism," Jackson said.

The Ecumenical Caucus was also in solidarity with indigenous peoples who came to the conference calling upon governments to remove any expressions that limit indigenous rights to their land and territorial domains from the governments’ draft declaration. However, they were confronted with a statement in the draft declaration questioning the legitimacy of the term "indigenous peoples." The World Conference decided to keep the term for the present and to create a permanent forum for indigenous issues in the UN.

The Ecumenical Caucus statement called on all to embrace the richness of the social, cultural, spiritual and linguistic diversities of indigenous peoples. Among those issues faced at the conference were the struggle of the Dalits, Romas, Sinti and Travelers, migrant workers and globalization, asylum-seekers, refugees and internally displaced peoples. Also controversial were debates regarding Palestine, colonialism, indigenous rights, religious liberty and religious intolerance, children and young people.

Considered the largest ethnic minority in Europe, the Roma/Sinti and Travelers have been stereotyped and discriminated against for over 600 years. Christian Popescu, a World Council of Churches delegate from Romania, informed the Ecumenical Caucus that Roma people are denied education, adequate housing, health care and are stigmatized because of their ethnicity. The UN Declaration recognizes with deep concern the ongoing manifestations of racism against the Roman/Sinti/Travelers, and the need to develop effective policies and implementation mechanisms for their full achievement of equality. The Ecumenical Caucus called upon governments to adopt immediate and concrete measures to eradicate the widespread discrimination, persecution, stigmatization and violence against these peoples on the basis of their social origin and identity.

The WCAR was a space for learning, expressing solidarity and making new friends.

This writer will long remember the moving presentation of Dr. Sirirat Pusurinkham, of the Church of Christ in Thailand, about the trafficking of girls into prostitution. Or the weeping young indigenous woman from Brazil who said she was "overwhelmed by the pain of so many people in my community whose lives are being violated by land disputes…"

This writer will long remember the moving presentation of Dr. Sirirat Pusurinkham, of the Church of Christ in Thailand, about the trafficking of girls into prostitution. Or the weeping young indigenous woman from Brazil who said she was "overwhelmed by the pain of so many people in my community whose lives are being violated by land disputes, and the exploitation of our environment." She reflected the frustration of indigenous communities whose lands are being taken away by increased development as a result of foreign direct investment. Those who gathered around her felt her pain.

Rev. Yesudoss Moses, of the Dalit Concerns desk of the National Council of Churches of India and a member of the WCC delegation, was among those who kept recognition of the Dalit struggle before the conference. This controversial issue was the target of the Indian government in its attempt to keep it off the agenda by their opposition to the use of the term "discrimination on the basis of work and descent, and the use of the word ‘caste’." Moses expressed his appreciation for the overwhelming support of the international community. "The visibility of Dalits at the WCAR will no doubt double the confidence of Dalits in their struggle against caste-discrimination."

Also unforgettable was the reminder by the Rev. Priscilla Everson of South Africa that the structures of apartheid are still in place and will only be dismantled when economic justice is given to the millions of Africans who lived under that system. Bishop Mvume Dandala (Methodist), leader of the WCC delegation, acknowledged that the road is not easy, that it may take at least four generations to correct the mind-set of the South Africans. "We live in hope," he stated.

Mary Robinson, who chaired the conference, acknowledged that WCAR was a beginning not an end, and that there must be follow-up. She challenged the governments to act on the agreements reached: "The documents we have agreed here will be meaningless unless governments act on them. Civil society must work as allies of governments in this task and must ensure that the commitment entered into here are honored."

Sonia Omulepu is Special Projects Officer and Administrator for the U.S. office of the World Council of Churches. An Anglican lay woman, Sonia coordinates work on the Decade to Overcome Violence, the annual meeting of the WCC’s US Conference, and numerous ecumenical relationships. Sonia may be reached by email at spo@wcc-coe.org